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Lyon

City motto: Avant, avant, Lion le melhor.
(Franco-Provençal: Forward, forward, Lyon the best)
City proper
(commune)
Région Rhône-Alpes
Département Rhône (69)
Mayor Gérard Collomb
(PS) (since 2001)
Area 47.87 km²
Subdivisions 9 arrondissements
Population
(July 1, 2004 estimate)
(March 8, 1999 census)
(Ranked 3rd)
465,300
445,452
Density 9,720/km² (2004)
Metropolitan area
(aire urbaine)
Communes 296 (1999)
Area 3,306 km² (1999)
Population
1999 census
(Ranked 2nd)
1,648,216
Yearly growth +0.68 %
Density 499/km² (1999)
Intercommunality
  - president

Urban Community of Lyon
Gérard Collomb
(PS) (since 2001)
Miscellaneous
Twin cities Birmingham (UK)
Saint Louis (USA)
Frankfurt (Germany)
Milan (Italy)
Guangzhou (China)
Beersheba (Israel)

Lyon (often Lyons in English) (French pronunciation: /ljɔ̃/) is a city in east central France. Location: 45°46′1″N, 4°50′3″E.

Together with its suburbs and satellite towns, Lyon forms the second largest metropolitan area in France after Paris, with 1,648,216 inhabitants at the 1999 census, and approximately the 20th to 25th largest metropolitan area of Western Europe.

Lyon is the capital of the Rhône-Alpes région, and the préfecture (capital) of the Rhône département.

The city gave its name to the Lyonnais province, of which it was the capital. Today the region around Lyon is still known as Lyonnais (French: le Lyonnais), or sometimes even as the Lyonnaise Region (French: Région Lyonnaise). Lyonnaise Region is an unofficial, popular name, not to be confused with the administrative région of Rhône-Alpes, which is much larger than the Lyonnaise Region.

Lyon is also the international headquarters of Interpol.

Administration

Lyon is the capital of the Rhône-Alpes région, the préfecture of the Rhône département, and the capital of 14 cantons, covering 1 commune, and with a total population of 445,452 (1999). Lyon, similarly to Marseille and Paris is divided into 9 municipal arrondissements, referred to by number.

History

Lyon was founded as a Roman colony in 43 BC by Munatius Plancus, a lieutenant of Caesar, on the site of a Gaulish hill-fort settlement called Lug[o]dunon—from the Celtic sun god Lugus ('Light', cognate to Old Irish Lugh, Modern Irish ) and dúnon (hill-fort). The name was latinised as Lugdunum; Lug was equated by the Romans to Mercurius. Lug's 'totem' was a cock (rooster), hence the Modern French association with 'le coq'.

The three parts of Gaul mentioned by Caesar met at Lyon. Agrippa recognized that Lugdunum's position on the natural highway from northern to south-eastern France made it a natural communications hub, and he made Lyon the starting point of the principal Roman roads throughout Gaul. It then became the capital of Gaul, partly thanks to its fortunate site at the convergence of two navigable rivers, and quickly became the main city of Gaul. Two emperors were born in this city: Claudius and Caracalla.

The Christians in Lyon were persecuted for their religious views under the reigns of the Roman emperors Marcus Aurelius and Septimus Severus. The great Christian bishop of Lyon in the 2nd century was the Easterner Irenaeus.

Burgundian refugees from the destruction of Worms by Huns in 437 were resettled by the military commander of the west, Aëtius, at Lugdunum, which was formally the capital of the new Burgundian kingdom by 461.

In 843, by the Treaty of Verdun, Lyon, with the country beyond the Saône, went to Lothair I.

Fernand Braudel remarked, "Historians of Lyon are not sufficiently aware of the bi-polarity between Paris and Lyon, which is a constant structure in French development" from the late Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution (Braudel 1984 p. 327). The fairs in Lyon, the invention of Italian merchants, made it the economic countinghouse of France in the late 15th century. When international banking moved to Genoa, then Amsterdam, Lyon simply became the banking center of France; its new Bourse (treasury), built in 1749, still resembled a public bazaar where accounts were settled in the open air. During the Renaissance, the city developed with the silk trade, especially with Italy; the Italian influence on Lyon's architecture can still be seen. Thanks to the silk trade, Lyon became an important industrial town during the 19th century.

Lyon was a scene of mass violence against Huguenots in the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacres in 1572.

The silk workers of Lyon, known as canuts, staged two major uprisings: in 1831 and 1834. The 1831 uprising saw one of the first recorded uses of the black flag as an emblem of protest.

Lyon was a centre for the occupying German forces and also a stronghold of resistance during World War II, and the town is now home to a resistance museum. (See also Klaus Barbie.) The traboules, or secret passages, through the houses enabled the local people to escape Gestapo raids.

Geography

Place Bellcour in Central Lyon, seen from the Fourvière hill

The Rhône and Saône rivers meet at the south end of the city, which is dominated by the two hills Fourvière and the Croix-Rousse. Fourvière, known as the hill that prays is the location for the highly decorated Notre-Dame de Fourvière basilica, several convents, the palace of the Archbishop, the Tour métallique (a highly visible TV tower) and a funicular. Croix-Rousse the hill that works was traditionally home to the many small silk workshops, an industry for which the city was renowned.

The Saint-Jean and the Croix-Rousse areas, which are noted for their narrow passageways (traboules) that pass through buildings and link the streets either side, were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1998.

On the peninsula (presqu'ile) between the rivers Rhône and Saône, is the third largest public square in France, and one of the largest in Europe, the Place Bellecour. Specifically, it is the largest clear square (i.e., without any patches of greenery, trees or any other kind of obstacles) in Europe.

Across the Rhône from the presqu'ile sits modern Lyon, home to the urban center Lyon Part-Dieu; central France's only skyscraper; and most of the city's population. This area also contains the Parc de la tête d'or, one of Europe's largest urban parks. Interpol headquarters is located in this neighborhood.

Culture

Lyon was an early center for printing books, and nurtured a circle of 16th century poets. For several centuries Lyon has been known as the capital of gastronomy, fine handweaving, and the silk trade. The Lumière brothers invented cinema in the town in 1898. December 8 each year is marked by "la Fête de la Lumière" (the Festival of Lights), a celebration of thanks to the Virgin Mary, who purportedly saved the city from a deadly plague in the Middle Ages. During the event, the local population places candles in their windows and the city of Lyon organizes and projects impressive large-scale light shows onto the sides of important Lyonais monuments, such as the mediaeval Cathédral St-Jean.

A photograph from Fourvière

Two of France's best known wine-growing regions are located near Lyon: the Beaujolais to the North, and the Côtes du Rhône to the South.

Religion

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of the city holds the title "Primate of the Gauls" (Primat des Gaules) and is the leading Archbishop of France. The archdiocese dates to Roman times before Franks entered modern France (see history above).

The red vestments of the canons of Lyon are said to have given rise to red becoming the signature color of the cardinals, in a decree promulgated under Pope Innocent IV at the First Council of Lyons, 1245.

Colleges and universities

Transportation

Airport: Saint-Exupéry International Airport

Lyon is connected to the North (Lille, Paris) and the South (Marseille, Montpellier) by the TGV. It was the first city to be connected by the TGV c. 1982.

Metro: see Lyon Metro

The TCL (Transport en Commun Lyonnais : Lyon's Public transport) serves 62 communes of the Lyons agglomeration and constitutes the second grid system jointly French. In addition to the extensive metro and bus system, Lyon has a tramway system.

Vélo'v

A Vélo'v station, in front of one of Lyon's numerous Trompe l'oeils A photo, waterside in Lyon

Lyon has a public bicycle network of 2000 bikes which can be picked up and dropped off at points around the city. Known as Vélo'v, it is owned and operated by the advertising company JCDecaux, which refers to it as Cyclocity. The system was introduced in May 2005 and was a huge success in its first few months of operation. Despite occasional problems with the technology infrastructure or lack of cards in vending machines, it seems to have been adopted as a viable means of public transport.

Buildings and structures

Miscellaneous

Born in Lyon

The long list of notable Lyonnais includes:

Twinning

Lyon is twinned with:

Musical reference

In the Marillion song Bitter Suite from "Misplaced Childhood" there is a reference to Lyon.


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In the Marillion song Bitter Suite from "Misplaced Childhood" there is a reference to Lyon. They are:. Lyon is twinned with:. Melbourne has a number of sister cities. The long list of notable Lyonnais includes:. There are a variety of interesting things to see outside Melbourne proper but still within a day trip of Melbourne. Despite occasional problems with the technology infrastructure or lack of cards in vending machines, it seems to have been adopted as a viable means of public transport. As one would expect from a city its size, Melbourne has a wide variety of pubs, bars and nightclubs, which can be found all over the metropolitan area.

The system was introduced in May 2005 and was a huge success in its first few months of operation. Some of the best restraunts can be found in St Kilda along Fitzroy Street, South Yarra along Chapel Street, Fitzroy along Brunswick Street, Carlton along Lygon St, South Melbourne along Clarendon St, Richmond along Bridge Rd and Victoria St and Collingwood along Smith Street, as well as in the CBD and Southbank precincts. Known as Vélo'v, it is owned and operated by the advertising company JCDecaux, which refers to it as Cyclocity. Melbourne's restaurants are numerous, and are generally of reasonable quality and good value. Lyon has a public bicycle network of 2000 bikes which can be picked up and dropped off at points around the city. Melbourne will host the Commonwealth Games in 2006. In addition to the extensive metro and bus system, Lyon has a tramway system. Melbourne's best-known sporting events are the Australian F1 Grand Prix, numerous international Cricket matches, the Australian Football League Grand Final and the Spring Racing Carnival wheich culminates with the running of the Melbourne Cup horse race at Flemington.

The TCL (Transport en Commun Lyonnais : Lyon's Public transport) serves 62 communes of the Lyons agglomeration and constitutes the second grid system jointly French. Melbourne hosts a disproportionately large number of spectator sports. Metro: see Lyon Metro. The Crown Casino entertainment complex can also be found in the Southbank precinct. 1982. Southbank on the southern bank of the Yarra River attracts locals and tourists alike for its mix of dining, shopping and recreational facilities. It was the first city to be connected by the TGV c. Along St Kilda Road there are many cultural attractions, including the National Gallery of Victoria, the Shrine of Remembrance, King's Domain and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the Arts Centre, and Victoria Barracks.

Lyon is connected to the North (Lille, Paris) and the South (Marseille, Montpellier) by the TGV. The Fitzroy Gardens in East Melbourne has many attractions including Captain Cook's Cottage. Airport: Saint-Exupéry International Airport. Melbourne attracts large numbers of tourists, particularly young backpackers. The red vestments of the canons of Lyon are said to have given rise to red becoming the signature color of the cardinals, in a decree promulgated under Pope Innocent IV at the First Council of Lyons, 1245. Avalon Airport located between Melbourne and Geelong is a freight and maintenance facility and handles some low cost flights. The archdiocese dates to Roman times before Franks entered modern France (see history above). Essendon Airport, which was once the city's main airport before the construction of Tullamarine, handles general aviation and some cargo flights, and is the base of the Victoria Police air wing and air ambulance.

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of the city holds the title "Primate of the Gauls" (Primat des Gaules) and is the leading Archbishop of France. Moorabbin Airport is a significant general aviation airport in the city's south east. Two of France's best known wine-growing regions are located near Lyon: the Beaujolais to the North, and the Côtes du Rhône to the South. Melbourne International Airport located at Tullamarine is the city's main international and domestic gateway. During the event, the local population places candles in their windows and the city of Lyon organizes and projects impressive large-scale light shows onto the sides of important Lyonais monuments, such as the mediaeval Cathédral St-Jean. Melbourne has four significant airports. December 8 each year is marked by "la Fête de la Lumière" (the Festival of Lights), a celebration of thanks to the Virgin Mary, who purportedly saved the city from a deadly plague in the Middle Ages. Station Pier in Port Phillip Bay handles cruise ships and the Spirit of Tasmania ferries which cross Bass Strait to Tasmania.

The Lumière brothers invented cinema in the town in 1898. Melbourne Airport is the nation's second busiest. For several centuries Lyon has been known as the capital of gastronomy, fine handweaving, and the silk trade. The Port of Melbourne is Australia's largest container and general cargo port. Lyon was an early center for printing books, and nurtured a circle of 16th century poets. The city has rail connections wth several regional cities in the state, as well as interstate rail services to Sydney and Adelaide. Interpol headquarters is located in this neighborhood. From the 1920s to the 1940s it was the world's busiest passenger station.

This area also contains the Parc de la tête d'or, one of Europe's largest urban parks. Flinders Street Station is a prominent Melbourne landmark and meeting place. Across the Rhône from the presqu'ile sits modern Lyon, home to the urban center Lyon Part-Dieu; central France's only skyscraper; and most of the city's population. It has one of the world's most extensive tram networks, almost 300 bus routes and a train system with more than 15 lines. Specifically, it is the largest clear square (i.e., without any patches of greenery, trees or any other kind of obstacles) in Europe. Like many major cities in the world, Melbourne has an integrated public transport system, however some of its outlying suburbs still face transport difficulties. On the peninsula (presqu'ile) between the rivers Rhône and Saône, is the third largest public square in France, and one of the largest in Europe, the Place Bellecour. Melbourne is served with an extensive public transport network.

The Saint-Jean and the Croix-Rousse areas, which are noted for their narrow passageways (traboules) that pass through buildings and link the streets either side, were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1998. Carols by Candlelight, first held in 1938, is a Christmas Eve tradition held annually at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Croix-Rousse the hill that works was traditionally home to the many small silk workshops, an industry for which the city was renowned. Through her he has performed cutting odes to Melbourne mores and the middle class suburbs of Moonee Ponds and Highett, among others. Fourvière, known as the hill that prays is the location for the highly decorated Notre-Dame de Fourvière basilica, several convents, the palace of the Archbishop, the Tour métallique (a highly visible TV tower) and a funicular. Melbourne-born satirist Barry Humphries created his main character Dame Edna Everage as a comedic version of a suburban homemaker. The Rhône and Saône rivers meet at the south end of the city, which is dominated by the two hills Fourvière and the Croix-Rousse. "Balwyn Calling", "Carlton (Lygon Street Limbo)" and "Toorak Cowboy" are examples.

(See also Klaus Barbie.) The traboules, or secret passages, through the houses enabled the local people to escape Gestapo raids. Singer Paul Kelly has written several well-known songs about aspects of the city close to the heart of many Melburnians, notably "Leaps And Bounds" and "From St Kilda To King's Cross", while Skyhooks also wrote some more tongue in cheek songs about Melbourne. Lyon was a centre for the occupying German forces and also a stronghold of resistance during World War II, and the town is now home to a resistance museum. Other contemporary television shows set in Melbourne include Stingers (a police drama), The Secret Life Of Us, and MDA. The 1831 uprising saw one of the first recorded uses of the black flag as an emblem of protest. Perhaps better known to a contemporary audience is the daily soap opera Neighbours, set in the fictional eastern suburb of Erinsborough, which presents a 'whitebread' microcosm of suburban Australian life. The silk workers of Lyon, known as canuts, staged two major uprisings: in 1831 and 1834. Nice Guy and The Castle.

Bartholomew's Day Massacres in 1572. Some of the more famous include Mad Max, Chopper, Romper Stomper, featuring a young Russell Crowe as a terrifying Melburnian skinhead; Jackie Chan's Mr. Lyon was a scene of mass violence against Huguenots in the St. In recent years, many more films have been made in Melbourne. Thanks to the silk trade, Lyon became an important industrial town during the 19th century. Similar filming was undertaken when a 2000 television movie remake was produced. During the Renaissance, the city developed with the silk trade, especially with Italy; the Italian influence on Lyon's architecture can still be seen. The purported quote was invented by journalist Neil Jillett.

When international banking moved to Genoa, then Amsterdam, Lyon simply became the banking center of France; its new Bourse (treasury), built in 1749, still resembled a public bazaar where accounts were settled in the open air. Filmed on location in and around Melbourne (a great novelty for Melbourne at the time), it is perhaps best remembered for a comment Ava Gardner possibly never actually made - describing Melbourne as 'the perfect place to make a film about the end of the world', commenting on the dreary conservatism of Melbourne in the late 1950s. The fairs in Lyon, the invention of Italian merchants, made it the economic countinghouse of France in the late 15th century. The film depicted the denizens of Melbourne quietly slipping off into eternity as the last victims of a global nuclear holocaust. 327). In 1959, it was made into a film directed by Stanley Kramer, and starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Anthony Perkins. Fernand Braudel remarked, "Historians of Lyon are not sufficiently aware of the bi-polarity between Paris and Lyon, which is a constant structure in French development" from the late Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution (Braudel 1984 p. Perhaps the best-known novel internationally is Nevil Shute's novel On the Beach.

In 843, by the Treaty of Verdun, Lyon, with the country beyond the Saône, went to Lothair I. Frank Hardy's Power Without Glory tells the story of Melbourne businessman John West (based on the real-life John Wren) and is set in a thinly-disguised Collingwood, a Melbourne working-class suburb. Burgundian refugees from the destruction of Worms by Huns in 437 were resettled by the military commander of the west, Aëtius, at Lugdunum, which was formally the capital of the new Burgundian kingdom by 461. Fergus Hume's international best-seller Mystery of a Hansom Cab, which outsold the Sherlock Holmes stories at the time, was set in Melbourne of the Gold Rush era. The great Christian bishop of Lyon in the 2nd century was the Easterner Irenaeus. Melbourne has been the setting for many novels, television dramas, and films. The Christians in Lyon were persecuted for their religious views under the reigns of the Roman emperors Marcus Aurelius and Septimus Severus. The Melbourne Shuffle, a style of dance, had its birth here, and has been evolving ever since.

Two emperors were born in this city: Claudius and Caracalla. There are dance parties happening almost every night of the year, frequently attracting some of the world's best DJs to the city. It then became the capital of Gaul, partly thanks to its fortunate site at the convergence of two navigable rivers, and quickly became the main city of Gaul. The dance music scene in Melbourne is large and lively. Agrippa recognized that Lugdunum's position on the natural highway from northern to south-eastern France made it a natural communications hub, and he made Lyon the starting point of the principal Roman roads throughout Gaul. Live shows constantly occur in the city with open-mic contests and performances by up-and-coming artists held throughout the week at different locations. The three parts of Gaul mentioned by Caesar met at Lyon. Melbourne is home to a gritty style of home grown Hip Hop and is home to artists such as Lyrical Commission, Muphin, Reason and Pegz.

Lug's 'totem' was a cock (rooster), hence the Modern French association with 'le coq'. Obese Records, a leading Australian Hip Hop recording label, was founded in 1995 in Melbourne and is located in Prahran, just off the famous Chapel Street. The name was latinised as Lugdunum; Lug was equated by the Romans to Mercurius. Melbourne is home to a large Australian hip hop scene, generally known as "Melburn" or "The Burn" throughout the unique sub-culture. Lyon was founded as a Roman colony in 43 BC by Munatius Plancus, a lieutenant of Caesar, on the site of a Gaulish hill-fort settlement called Lug[o]dunon—from the Celtic sun god Lugus ('Light', cognate to Old Irish Lugh, Modern Irish ) and dúnon (hill-fort). Melbourne's lively rock and pop music scene has fostered many internationally renowned artists and musicians, with links to AC/DC, Nick Cave, Crowded House, John Farnham, Graeme Bell, Kylie Minogue, and Jet. Lyon, similarly to Marseille and Paris is divided into 9 municipal arrondissements, referred to by number. Several professional theatre companies operate in Melbourne, of which the Melbourne Theatre Company has the most institutional support of any in Australia, and there is a wide range of smaller companies.

Lyon is the capital of the Rhône-Alpes région, the préfecture of the Rhône département, and the capital of 14 cantons, covering 1 commune, and with a total population of 445,452 (1999). Many of its most significant works hang in the National Gallery of Victoria, which has one of Australia's top collections of visual art, particularly early Australian western-tradition art. . It was largely the work of Melbourne-based artists, and was arguably the first distinctly Australian art movement (in the Western canon, at least). Lyon is also the international headquarters of Interpol. The Heidelberg School was an Australian art movement of the late 19th century centered in Melbourne. Lyonnaise Region is an unofficial, popular name, not to be confused with the administrative région of Rhône-Alpes, which is much larger than the Lyonnaise Region. Melbourne was strongly associated with the establishment of Australia's visual arts.

Today the region around Lyon is still known as Lyonnais (French: le Lyonnais), or sometimes even as the Lyonnaise Region (French: Région Lyonnaise). The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is highly regarded both at home and internationally. The city gave its name to the Lyonnais province, of which it was the capital. Melbourne is the home of the Australian Ballet and the second home of Opera Australia. Lyon is the capital of the Rhône-Alpes région, and the préfecture (capital) of the Rhône département. Annuals arts celebrations include the Melbourne Arts Festival, the Melbourne Fringe Festival, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Melbourne International Film Festival, and Moomba. Together with its suburbs and satellite towns, Lyon forms the second largest metropolitan area in France after Paris, with 1,648,216 inhabitants at the 1999 census, and approximately the 20th to 25th largest metropolitan area of Western Europe. Melbourne has a large and vibrant arts and cultural life.

Location: 45°46′1″N, 4°50′3″E. Melbourne also boasts a number of community radio stations, of which the best known are 3RRR and 3PBS. Lyon (often Lyons in English) (French pronunciation: /ljɔ̃/) is a city in east central France. 3AW is consistently the city's highest-rating commercial radio station. A historical article about a 19th century flood inspired the 1979 song The Flood at Lyons by Renaissance. Melbourne has a wide range of radio stations and is the base for the Australia-wide Austereo network. Yokohama, Japan, 1959 Yokohama's Sister City page. There are three commercial television channels: the Seven, Nine and Ten networks — and three public channels: ABC, SBS, and a community television channel, Channel 31 Melbourne.

Frankfurt, Germany, 1960. Melbourne has two major daily newspapers, The Age and The Herald Sun, as well as the free afternoon tabloid mX. Saint Louis, United States, 1975. In 2007, Melbourne will be the host of the FINA World Aquatics Championships. Milan, Italy, 1966. The 2006 Commonwealth Games will be held in Melbourne, the first time the city has hosted the event. Guangzhou, China, 1988. Melbourne co-hosted the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup, including many pool matches as well as a quarter final – all of which were played at the Telstra Dome; broke new ground as the first city outside the United States to host the World Police and Fire Games in 1995, and the President's Cup golf tournament in 1999; and was the first city in the Southern Hemisphere to host the World Cup Polo Championship in 2001.

Birmingham, Great Britain, 1951 Birmingham's Partner City page. Since the 1956 Olympic Games were held in Melbourne, the city has hosted numerous sporting events which rotate host cities. Hector Guimard, Art Nouveau architect. The Wallabies, Australia's national rugby union team, usually also play at least one Test annually at Melbourne's Telstra Dome. Bernard Pivot, journalist. Annually, Melbourne hosts the Australian Open tennis tournament, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments; the Melbourne Cup horse race; the 'Boxing Day' cricket test match held each year from 26-30 December at the Melbourne Cricket Ground; and the Australian Grand Prix Formula One championship. Caracalla, IIInd century roman emperor. The city has hosted several major international sporting events.

Bertrand Tavernier, movies director. The city also has two National Basketball League franchises, the Melbourne Tigers and the South Dragons (to enter the league in 2006). Raymond Domenech, trainer French football team. Olympic Park is also the home of Melbourne Victory, a team in the newly formed Australian football (soccer) competition, the A-League. Youri Djorkaeff, football player. Melbourne Storm, a National Rugby League team, are based at Olympic Park. Henri Cochet, tennis player. It is the traditional venue for the Boxing Day cricket Test match.

Bishop Mathias Loras, the first Bishop of the Dubuque, Iowa Diocese. The MCG was the site of many events at the 1956 Summer Olympics, including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Jean-Michel Jarre, musician. The AFL Grand Final, one of the biggest sporting events in Australia, is played on the last weekend in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), a massive arena that has held up to 120,000 spectators. Maurice Jarre, composer. The city is home to nine of the sixteen teams in the Australian Football League (AFL), whose five Melbourne games per week attract an average 35,000 people per game. Marie-France Gaîté (la Gribouille), singer. Melbourne is where Australian rules football originated, and it still the most popular sport in Victoria.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, aviation pioneer and writer. A majority of the oldest schools in Melbourne belong to the Associated Public Schools of Victoria and Associated Grammar Schools of Victoria associations. Tony Garnier, architect and utopian planner. From years 7 to 12 students attend high schools. Jules Favre, republican statesman. Primary school consists of seven grades; a preparatory year and grades 1 to 6. Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, painter. Melbourne has numerous government, independent and other secondary schools.

Shlomo Aviner, renowned Religious Zionist rabbi. Several other universities are also located in Melbourne, including Deakin University, La Trobe University, RMIT University, Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria University of Technology and the St Patrick's campus of the Australian Catholic University. François Rabelais, 16th century writer. Both are also highly ranked among the best universities in the world by The Times Higher Education Supplement. Louise Labé, 16th century poet. They are both members of the Group of Eight, a lobby group including the most prestigious universities in Australia. Cathédrale Saint-Jean. Melbourne's two most notable tertiary institutions are the University of Melbourne and Monash University.

Cité Internationale, 1998, Renzo Piano, architect.
. Lyon Airport Railway Station, 1994, Santiago Calatrava, architect. Melbourne Population by Year:. Opéra National de Lyon, renovation and expansion 1993, Jean Nouvel, architect. In recent years, Melton, Wyndham and Casey, part of the Melbourne statistical division, have recorded the highest growth rate of all local government areas in Australia. Guillaume Gilbert, architect. Attraction of a large proportion of overseas immigrants and interstate migration from Sydney due to more affordable housing are two recent key factors.

Satolas Airport, 1975. Although Brisbane and Perth are growing faster in percentage terms, and Victoria's net interstate migration has fluctuated, the Melbourne statistical division has grown by approximately 50,000 people a year since 2003, more than any other Australian city. Sainte Marie de La Tourette monastery, 1960, Le Corbusier, architect. The newest wave of immigrants comes from North Africa, particularly Sudan. La Mouche Cattle Market and Abbatoir, 1914, 1928, Tony Garnier, architect. Melbourne also boasts the largest Jewish community in Oceania (See Judaism in Australia). Tour métallique de Fourvière, 1894. Refugees from Cambodia and Vietnam made Melbourne their home in the 1970s and 1980s and were joined by people from India, the Philippines and Malaysia.

La Martiniere Lyons. Melbourne has one of the world's largest population of people with Greek ancestry outside Greece -- in fact it is 3rd only to Athens and Thessaloniki as a metropolis for Greek-speakers [4]. École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État. Large numbers from Italy and Greece arrived in the 1950s and 1960s, to become the largest groups after those from Britain and Ireland. ESDES Business School. The need for a population increase and a labour force saw many British, Yugoslav, Dutch, German, Arab and Maltese migrants arrive in 1945 after the devastation of the homelands in World War II. Université Catholique de Lyon. As a consequence property prices took decades to recover.

Université Louis Lumière (Lyon II). Much of Melbourne's population loss during the 1890s was the result of the unemployed moving west seeking gold, or, employment in the burgeoning industries stimulated by gold. Université Claude Bernard (Lyon I). During the 1890s a world economic depression hit Melbourne's overleveraged economy with particular savagery. Université Jean Moulin (Lyon III). In the following decades of the 1870s and 1880s, Melbourne was Australia's most populous city and led to a spectacular property boom, and exuberance still in evidence in the much loved late Victorian architecture. Institution des Chartreux http://www.leschartreux.com. From 20,000 inhabitants in 1851, an additional 15,000 arrived almost overnight with the discovery of gold in August 1852 [3].

Institut d'études politiques de Lyon. Melbourne's population exploded during the 1850s' gold rush. Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon. As the capital city, Melbourne has over time become a large urban centre and the home to around 80% of the state's population. École nationale des beaux-arts de Lyon. Almost a quarter of Victoria's population was born overseas and come from 233 countries, speak over 180 languages and dialects and follow 116 religious faiths. École Normale Supérieure Lettres et Sciences Humaines. Today Melbourne is one of the world's most diverse and multicultural cities.

École Normale Supérieure de Lyon. In 2006, Melbourne will play host to the summit of G20 finance ministers. EM Lyon (École de Management de Lyon). At a cost of $434 million the project involves reconstructing the old Olympic and Ponsford stands. École Centrale de Lyon. At the centrepiece of the Commonwealth Games projects is the redevelopment project for the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the stadium set for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games. CPE Lyon. The project is set for completion in early 2006, before the start of the Games.

Such projects include the $AUD700 million Southern Cross Station redevelopment, including a $350 million world-class transport interchange facility with $350 million also set aside for office accommodation, residential towers and hotel and also a retail plaza. Most current major infrastructure projects are generally centred on the upcoming 2006 Commonwealth Games, which are to be held in the city. Melbourne is home to Australia's largest seaport and much of Australia's automotive industry (including the engine manufacturing facility of Holden and the Ford and Toyota manufacturing facilities), in addition to many other manufacturing industries. The peak body representing workers in Australia, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, is also headquartered in Melbourne.

Many of Australia's largest companies have their headquarters there, and many multinational corporations (approximately one-third of the 100 largest multinationals operating in Australia as of 2002), have their main Australian office there. Melbourne is a large commercial and industrial centre.
. For this reason the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, which had become a powerful semi-autonomous authority, was abolished in 1992.

Because three quarters of Victoria's population lives in Melbourne, state governments have traditionally been reluctant to allow the development of city-wide governmental bodies, which would tend to create a rival to the state government. These include public transport, main roads, traffic control, policing, education above preschool level, and planning of major infrastructure projects. Most city-wide government activities are controlled by the state government. Melbourne's overwhelming dominance of the state of Victoria's population and economy means the Victorian state government is also effectively the city government of greater Melbourne.

The councils are collectively represented by the Local Government Association of Victoria. Councils levy rates from their residents to pay for these services. These include planning, rubbish collection, beaches, parks and gardens, child-care and preschool facilities, local festivals and cultural activities, services to the elderly, supervision of public health, sanitation and similar matters. These municipalities all have elected councils and are responsible for a range of functions delegated to them by the Victorian state government.

The rest of the metropolitan area is divided into 30 municipalities, all of which are styled as cities except for five on the city's outer fringes which are styled as shires (see a list of these at Local Government Areas of Victoria). The current Lord Mayor is John So. However the head of the Melbourne City Council, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, is frequently treated as a representative of greater Melbourne (the entire metropolitan area), particularly when interstate or overseas. The Melbourne City Council governs only the City of Melbourne, which takes in the CBD and a few adjoining inner suburbs.

There are also many parks in the surrounding suburbs of Melbourne, such as in the cities of Stonnington and Booroondara, south east of the CBD. There is an abundance of parks and gardens close to the CBD with a variety of common and rare plant species amid landscaped vistas, pedestrian pathways, and majestic tree lined avenues that help make Melbourne one of the world's most livable cities. Melbourne is often referred to as Australia's garden city. The central business district (the original city) is laid out in the famous mile-by-half-a-mile Hoddle Grid, its southern edge fronting on to the Yarra.

Geologically it is built on the confluence of Quaternary lava flows to the west, Silurian mudstones to the east and Holocene sand accumulation to the southeast along Port Phillip, its suburbs sprawling to the east, following the Yarra River out to the Yarra and Dandenong Ranges, south-east to the mouth of the bay, and following the Maribyrnong River and its tributaries west and north to flat farming country. Melbourne is located in the south-eastern corner of mainland Australia, and is the southernmost mainland capital city. This has continued under the government of current Premier Steve Bracks (Labor). In the 1990s, the Victorian state government of Premier Jeff Kennett (Liberal) sought to reverse this trend with the aggressive development of new public buildings, such as the Melbourne Museum, the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre (nicknamed "Jeff's Shed"), Crown Casino, capital works (most notably the City Link tollway), the selling off state assets (the State Electricity Commission and redundant state schools), the pruning back of state services and the publicising of Melbourne's merits both to outsiders and Melburnians.

After a boom in the 1980s Melbourne experienced a largely property market and manufacturing driven slump from 1989 to 1992, with a loss of employment and a drain of population to New South Wales and Queensland. Melbourne also developed as a centre of the arts. Even after the national capital moved to Canberra, Melbourne remained Australia's business and finance capital until the 1970s, when it began to lose this primacy to Sydney. Melbourne continued to expand steadily throughout the first half of the 20th century, particularly with the post-World War II influx of immigrants and the prestige of hosting the Olympic Games in 1956.

The seat of government and the national capital remained in Melbourne until 1927 when it moved to the new capital city of Canberra. The first Federal parliament was opened on 9 May of that year in the Royal Exhibition Building. Melbourne became Australia's national capital at Federation on 1 January 1901. Victorian architecture abounds in Melbourne and today the city is home to the largest number of surviving Victorian era buildings of any city in the world other than London.

During the 1880s, Melbourne was the second largest city in the British Empire, and came to be known as "Marvellous Melbourne". Later it became Australia's leading manufacturing centre. With the discovery of gold in Victoria in the 1850s, leading to the Victorian gold rush, Melbourne quickly grew as a port and service centre. It was the capital first of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales and then of the separate colony of Victoria.

Ultimately, settlement continued regardless [2]. A transaction was negotiated for 600,000 acres of land from eight of their representatives; this was later anulled by the New South Wales government (then governing all of eastern mainland Australia), who compensated the settlers in exchange. The area was already inhabited by the Kulin people, then indigenous to the area. The European settlement at Melbourne was founded in 1835 by settlers coming from Tasmania (then known as Van Diemen's Land), where they had difficulty finding available land.

Melbourne in Derbyshire derives its name from the Old English for Mill Stream (Mylla Burne). The city was named after the British Prime Minister William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, whose home was near the village of Melbourne in Derbyshire. . A resident of Melbourne is referred to as a Melburnian.

It has one of the highest numbers of international students studying in its universities, after London, New York City, and Paris. Melbourne has undergone a major urban 'revival', such that it is sometimes classed as being in a second tier of "world cities"; the GaWC study group in the UK ranks Melbourne, on the basis of relative availability of specialised "advanced services," as a "minor world city" comparable to cities such as Montreal, Osaka, and Prague. The US's Utne Reader puts it thus: "Add a long tradition of civic pride, communities of new immigrants from around the world, and the best food in Australia, and you have a recipe for what many claim is the hippest city in the Southern Hemisphere" (Nov/Dec 2001). In 2005, however, it was ranked 2nd, behind Vancouver, Canada.

Melbourne has twice ranked first in a survey by The Economist of The World's Most Livable Cities on the basis of its cultural attributes, climate, cost of living, and social conditions such as crime rates and health care, once in 2002 [1], and again in 2004 – a year in which the Economist truly took a shine to Australian cities, with the five largest cities in Australia given rankings of 6 or better. It is also considered to be the fashion, shopping, dining and cultural capital of Australia. Melbourne is considered by most Australians to be the sporting capital of Australia, as it is home to The Melbourne Cup, Australian F1 Grand Prix, Australian Open Tennis, AFL Grand Final and MotoGP Motorcycle Grand Prix, and will host the Commonwealth Games in 2006. Melbourne was the capital city of Australia from 1901 until 1927.

The city's name is pronounced as either /ˈmel.bən/ or /ˈmæl.bən/. Melbourne is the state capital and largest city in the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-largest city in Australia (after Sydney), with a population of approximately 3.8 million (2006 estimate) in the Melbourne metropolitan area and 69,670 in the City of Melbourne (which covers only the central city area). ^  Coban, Suzie: “The immigration rush”, Special Broadcasting Service, (Unknown date). Retrieved December 14, 2005.

Melbourne and Vancouver are the world’s best cities to live in . ^  Economist Intelligence Unit (2002). Galle, Sri Lanka – 2005 (after the 2004 tsunami disaster Melbourne adopted Galle in order to fund the reconstruction of its cricket ground). Milan, Italy – 2004.

Saint Petersburg, Russia – 1989. Boston, United States – 1985. Thessaloniki, Greece – 1984. Tianjin, China (PRC) – 1980.

Osaka, Japan – 1978.